[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 28 (Wednesday, February 11, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H1180-H1188]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NATIONAL NANOTECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2009
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (H.R. 554) to authorize activities for support of
nanotechnology research and development, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 554
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``National Nanotechnology
Initiative Amendments Act of 2009''.
SEC. 2. NATIONAL NANOTECHNOLOGY PROGRAM AMENDMENTS.
The 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development
Act (15 U.S.C. 7501 et seq.) is amended--
(1) by striking section 2(c)(4) and inserting the following
new paragraph:
``(4) develop, within 12 months after the date of enactment
of the National Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act of
2009, and update every 3 years thereafter, a strategic plan
to guide the activities described under subsection (b) that
specifies near-term and long-term objectives for the Program,
the anticipated time frame for achieving the near-term
objectives, and the metrics to be used for assessing progress
toward the objectives, and that describes--
``(A) how the Program will move results out of the
laboratory and into applications for the benefit of society,
including through cooperation and collaborations with
nanotechnology research, development, and technology
transition initiatives supported by the States;
``(B) how the Program will encourage and support
interdisciplinary research and development in nanotechnology;
and
``(C) proposed research in areas of national importance in
accordance with the requirements of section 5 of the National
Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act of 2009;'';
(2) in section 2--
(A) in subsection (d)--
(i) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (5) as
paragraphs (2) through (6), respectively; and
(ii) by inserting the following new paragraph before
paragraph (2), as so redesignated by clause (i) of this
subparagraph:
``(1) the Program budget, for the previous fiscal year, for
each agency that participates in the Program, including a
breakout of spending for the development and acquisition of
research facilities and instrumentation, for each program
component area, and for all activities pursuant to subsection
(b)(10);''; and
(B) by inserting at the end the following new subsection:
``(e) Standards Setting.--The agencies participating in the
Program shall support the activities of committees involved
in the development of standards for nanotechnology and may
reimburse the travel costs of scientists and engineers who
participate in activities of such committees.'';
(3) by striking section 3(b) and inserting the following
new subsection:
``(b) Funding.--(1) The operation of the National
Nanotechnology Coordination Office shall be supported by
funds from each agency participating in the Program. The
portion of such Office's total budget provided by each agency
for each fiscal year shall be in the same proportion as the
agency's share of the total budget for the Program for the
previous fiscal year, as specified in the report required
under section 2(d)(1).
``(2) The annual report under section 2(d) shall include--
``(A) a description of the funding required by the National
Nanotechnology Coordination Office to perform the functions
specified under subsection (a) for the next fiscal year by
category of activity, including the funding required to carry
out the requirements of section 2(b)(10)(D), subsection (d)
of this section, and section 5;
``(B) a description of the funding required by such Office
to perform the functions specified under subsection (a) for
the current fiscal year by category of activity, including
the funding required to carry out the requirements of
subsection (d); and
``(C) the amount of funding provided for such Office for
the current fiscal year by each agency participating in the
Program.'';
(4) by inserting at the end of section 3 the following new
subsection:
``(d) Public Information.--(1) The National Nanotechnology
Coordination Office shall develop and maintain a database
accessible by the public of projects funded under the
Environmental, Health, and Safety, the Education and Societal
Dimensions, and the Nanomanufacturing program component
areas, or any successor program component areas, including a
description of each project, its source of funding by agency,
and its funding history. For the Environmental, Health, and
Safety program component area, or any successor program
component area, projects shall be grouped by major objective
as defined by the research plan required under section 3(b)
of the National Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act of
2009. For the Education and Societal Dimensions program
component area, or any successor program component area, the
projects shall be grouped in subcategories of--
``(A) education in formal settings;
``(B) education in informal settings;
``(C) public outreach; and
``(D) ethical, legal, and other societal issues.
``(2) The National Nanotechnology Coordination Office shall
develop, maintain, and publicize information on
nanotechnology facilities supported under the Program, and
may include information on nanotechnology facilities
supported by the States, that are accessible for use by
individuals from academic institutions and from industry. The
information shall include at a minimum the terms and
conditions for the use of each facility, a description of the
capabilities of the instruments and equipment available for
use at the facility, and a description of the technical
support available to assist users of the facility.'';
(5) in section 4(a)--
(A) by striking ``or designate'';
(B) by inserting ``as a distinct entity'' after ``Advisory
Panel''; and
(C) by inserting at the end ``The Advisory Panel shall form
a subpanel with membership having specific qualifications
tailored to enable it to carry out the requirements of
subsection (c)(7).'';
(6) in section 4(b)--
(A) by striking ``or designated'' and ``or designating'';
and
(B) by adding at the end the following: ``At least one
member of the Advisory Panel shall be an individual employed
by and representing a minority-serving institution.'';
(7) by amending section 5 to read as follows:
``SEC. 5. TRIENNIAL EXTERNAL REVIEW OF THE NATIONAL
NANOTECHNOLOGY PROGRAM.
``(a) In General.--The Director of the National
Nanotechnology Coordination Office shall enter into an
arrangement with the National Research Council of the
National Academy of Sciences to conduct a triennial review of
the Program. The Director shall ensure that the arrangement
with the National Research Council is concluded in order to
allow sufficient time for the reporting requirements of
subsection (b) to be satisfied. Each triennial review shall
include an evaluation of the--
``(1) research priorities and technical content of the
Program, including whether the allocation of funding among
program component areas, as designated according to section
2(c)(2), is appropriate;
``(2) effectiveness of the Program's management and
coordination across agencies and disciplines, including an
assessment of the effectiveness of the National
Nanotechnology Coordination Office;
``(3) Program's scientific and technological
accomplishments and its success in transferring technology to
the private sector; and
[[Page H1181]]
``(4) adequacy of the Program's activities addressing
ethical, legal, environmental, and other appropriate societal
concerns, including human health concerns.
``(b) Evaluation To Be Transmitted to Congress.--The
National Research Council shall document the results of each
triennial review carried out in accordance with subsection
(a) in a report that includes any recommendations for ways to
improve the Program's management and coordination processes
and for changes to the Program's objectives, funding
priorities, and technical content. Each report shall be
submitted to the Director of the National Nanotechnology
Coordination Office, who shall transmit it to the Advisory
Panel, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
of the Senate, and the Committee on Science and Technology of
the House of Representatives not later than September 30 of
every third year, with the first report due September 30,
2010.
``(c) Funding.--Of the amounts provided in accordance with
section 3(b)(1), the following amounts shall be available to
carry out this section:
``(1) $500,000 for fiscal year 2010.
``(2) $500,000 for fiscal year 2011.
``(3) $500,000 for fiscal year 2012.''; and
(8) in section 10--
(A) by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows:
``(2) Nanotechnology.--The term `nanotechnology' means the
science and technology that will enable one to understand,
measure, manipulate, and manufacture at the nanoscale, aimed
at creating materials, devices, and systems with
fundamentally new properties or functions.''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(7) Nanoscale.--The term `nanoscale' means one or more
dimensions of between approximately 1 and 100 nanometers.''.
SEC. 3. SOCIETAL DIMENSIONS OF NANOTECHNOLOGY.
(a) Coordinator for Societal Dimensions of
Nanotechnology.--The Director of the Office of Science and
Technology Policy shall designate an associate director of
the Office of Science and Technology Policy as the
Coordinator for Societal Dimensions of Nanotechnology. The
Coordinator shall be responsible for oversight of the
coordination, planning, and budget prioritization of
activities required by section 2(b)(10) of the 21st Century
Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (15 U.S.C.
7501(b)(10)). The Coordinator shall, with the assistance of
appropriate senior officials of the agencies funding
activities within the Environmental, Health, and Safety and
the Education and Societal Dimensions program component areas
of the Program, or any successor program component areas,
ensure that the requirements of such section 2(b)(10) are
satisfied. The responsibilities of the Coordinator shall
include--
(1) ensuring that a research plan for the environmental,
health, and safety research activities required under
subsection (b) is developed, updated, and implemented and
that the plan is responsive to the recommendations of the
subpanel of the Advisory Panel established under section 4(a)
of the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development
Act (15 U.S.C. 7503(a)), as amended by this Act;
(2) encouraging and monitoring the efforts of the agencies
participating in the Program to allocate the level of
resources and management attention necessary to ensure that
the ethical, legal, environmental, and other appropriate
societal concerns related to nanotechnology, including human
health concerns, are addressed under the Program, including
the implementation of the research plan described in
subsection (b); and
(3) encouraging the agencies required to develop the
research plan under subsection (b) to identify, assess, and
implement suitable mechanisms for the establishment of
public-private partnerships for support of environmental,
health, and safety research.
(b) Research Plan.--
(1) In general.--The Coordinator for Societal Dimensions of
Nanotechnology shall convene and chair a panel comprised of
representatives from the agencies funding research activities
under the Environmental, Health, and Safety program component
area of the Program, or any successor program component area,
and from such other agencies as the Coordinator considers
necessary to develop, periodically update, and coordinate the
implementation of a research plan for this program component
area. In developing and updating the plan, the panel convened
by the Coordinator shall solicit and be responsive to
recommendations and advice from--
(A) the subpanel of the Advisory Panel established under
section 4(a) of the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and
Development Act (15 U.S.C. 7503(a)), as amended by this Act;
and
(B) the agencies responsible for environmental, health, and
safety regulations associated with the production, use, and
disposal of nanoscale materials and products.
(2) Development of standards.--The plan required under
paragraph (1) shall include a description of how the Program
will help to ensure the development of--
(A) standards related to nomenclature associated with
engineered nanoscale materials;
(B) engineered nanoscale standard reference materials for
environmental, health, and safety testing; and
(C) standards related to methods and procedures for
detecting, measuring, monitoring, sampling, and testing
engineered nanoscale materials for environmental, health, and
safety impacts.
(3) Components of plan.--The plan required under paragraph
(1) shall, with respect to activities described in paragraphs
(1) and (2)--
(A) specify near-term research objectives and long-term
research objectives;
(B) specify milestones associated with each near-term
objective and the estimated time and resources required to
reach each milestone;
(C) with respect to subparagraphs (A) and (B), describe the
role of each agency carrying out or sponsoring research in
order to meet the objectives specified under subparagraph (A)
and to achieve the milestones specified under subparagraph
(B);
(D) specify the funding allocated to each major objective
of the plan and the source of funding by agency for the
current fiscal year; and
(E) estimate the funding required for each major objective
of the plan and the source of funding by agency for the
following 3 fiscal years.
(4) Transmittal to congress.--The plan required under
paragraph (1) shall be submitted not later than 60 days after
the date of enactment of this Act to the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the
Committee on Science and Technology of the House of
Representatives.
(5) Updating and appending to report.--The plan required
under paragraph (1) shall be updated annually and appended to
the report required under section 2(d) of the 21st Century
Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (15 U.S.C.
7501(d)).
(c) Nanotechnology Partnerships.--
(1) Establishment.--As part of the program authorized by
section 9 of the National Science Foundation Authorization
Act of 2002, the Director of the National Science Foundation
shall provide 1 or more grants to establish partnerships as
defined by subsection (a)(2) of that section, except that
each such partnership shall include 1 or more businesses
engaged in the production of nanoscale materials, products,
or devices. Partnerships established in accordance with this
subsection shall be designated as ``Nanotechnology Education
Partnerships''.
(2) Purpose.--Nanotechnology Education Partnerships shall
be designed to recruit and help prepare secondary school
students to pursue postsecondary level courses of instruction
in nanotechnology. At a minimum, grants shall be used to
support--
(A) professional development activities to enable secondary
school teachers to use curricular materials incorporating
nanotechnology and to inform teachers about career
possibilities for students in nanotechnology;
(B) enrichment programs for students, including access to
nanotechnology facilities and equipment at partner
institutions, to increase their understanding of nanoscale
science and technology and to inform them about career
possibilities in nanotechnology as scientists, engineers, and
technicians; and
(C) identification of appropriate nanotechnology
educational materials and incorporation of nanotechnology
into the curriculum for secondary school students at one or
more organizations participating in a Partnership.
(3) Selection.--Grants under this subsection shall be
awarded in accordance with subsection (b) of such section 9,
except that paragraph (3)(B) of that subsection shall not
apply.
(d) Undergraduate Education Programs.--
(1) Activities supported.--As part of the activities
included under the Education and Societal Dimensions program
component area, or any successor program component area, the
Program shall support efforts to introduce nanoscale science,
engineering, and technology into undergraduate science and
engineering education through a variety of interdisciplinary
approaches. Activities supported may include--
(A) development of courses of instruction or modules to
existing courses;
(B) faculty professional development; and
(C) acquisition of equipment and instrumentation suitable
for undergraduate education and research in nanotechnology.
(2) Course, curriculum, and laboratory improvement
authorization.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Director of the National Science Foundation to carry out
activities described in paragraph (1) through the Course,
Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement program from amounts
authorized under section 7002(c)(2)(B) of the America
COMPETES Act, $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2010.
(3) Advanced technology education authorization.--There are
authorized to be appropriated to the Director of the National
Science Foundation to carry out activities described in
paragraph (1) through the Advanced Technology Education
program from amounts authorized under section 7002(c)(2)(B)
of the America COMPETES Act, $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2010.
(e) Interagency Working Group.--The National Science and
Technology Council shall establish under the Nanoscale
Science, Engineering, and Technology Subcommittee an
Education Working Group to coordinate, prioritize, and plan
the educational activities supported under the Program.
(f) Societal Dimensions in Nanotechnology Education
Activities.--Activities supported under the Education and
Societal Dimensions program component area, or any
[[Page H1182]]
successor program component area, that involve informal,
precollege, or undergraduate nanotechnology education shall
include education regarding the environmental, health and
safety, and other societal aspects of nanotechnology.
(g) Remote Access to Nanotechnology Facilities.--(1)
Agencies supporting nanotechnology research facilities as
part of the Program shall require the entities that operate
such facilities to allow access via the Internet, and support
the costs associated with the provision of such access, by
secondary school students and teachers, to instruments and
equipment within such facilities for educational purposes.
The agencies may waive this requirement for cases when
particular facilities would be inappropriate for educational
purposes or the costs for providing such access would be
prohibitive.
(2) The agencies identified in paragraph (1) shall require
the entities that operate such nanotechnology research
facilities to establish and publish procedures, guidelines,
and conditions for the submission and approval of
applications for the use of the facilities for the purpose
identified in paragraph (1) and shall authorize personnel who
operate the facilities to provide necessary technical support
to students and teachers.
SEC. 4. TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER.
(a) Prototyping.--
(1) Access to facilities.--In accordance with section
2(b)(7) of 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and
Development Act (15 U.S.C. 7501(b)(7)), the agencies
supporting nanotechnology research facilities as part of the
Program shall provide access to such facilities to companies
for the purpose of assisting the companies in the development
of prototypes of nanoscale products, devices, or processes
(or products, devices, or processes enabled by
nanotechnology) for determining proof of concept. The
agencies shall publicize the availability of these facilities
and encourage their use by companies as provided for in this
section.
(2) Procedures.--The agencies identified in paragraph (1)--
(A) shall establish and publish procedures, guidelines, and
conditions for the submission and approval of applications
for use of nanotechnology facilities;
(B) shall publish descriptions of the capabilities of
facilities available for use under this subsection, including
the availability of technical support; and
(C) may waive recovery, require full recovery, or require
partial recovery of the costs associated with use of the
facilities for projects under this subsection.
(3) Selection and criteria.--In cases when less than full
cost recovery is required pursuant to paragraph (2)(C),
projects provided access to nanotechnology facilities in
accordance with this subsection shall be selected through a
competitive, merit-based process, and the criteria for the
selection of such projects shall include at a minimum--
(A) the readiness of the project for technology
demonstration;
(B) evidence of a commitment by the applicant for further
development of the project to full commercialization if the
proof of concept is established by the prototype; and
(C) evidence of the potential for further funding from
private sector sources following the successful demonstration
of proof of concept.
The agencies may give special consideration in selecting
projects to applications that are relevant to important
national needs or requirements.
(b) Use of Existing Technology Transfer Programs.--
(1) Participating agencies.--Each agency participating in
the Program shall--
(A) encourage the submission of applications for support of
nanotechnology related projects to the Small Business
Innovation Research Program and the Small Business Technology
Transfer Program administered by such agencies; and
(B) through the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office
and within 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act,
submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science and
Technology of the House of Representatives--
(i) the plan described in section 2(c)(7) of the 21st
Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (15
U.S.C. 7501(c)(7)); and
(ii) a report specifying, if the agency administers a Small
Business Innovation Research Program and a Small Business
Technology Transfer Program--
(I) the number of proposals received for nanotechnology
related projects during the current fiscal year and the
previous 2 fiscal years;
(II) the number of such proposals funded in each year;
(III) the total number of nanotechnology related projects
funded and the amount of funding provided for fiscal year
2004 through fiscal year 2008; and
(IV) a description of the projects identified in accordance
with subclause (III) which received private sector funding
beyond the period of phase II support.
(2) National institute of standards and technology.--The
Director of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology in carrying out the requirements of section 28 of
the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15
U.S.C. 278n) shall--
(A) in regard to subsection (d) of that section, encourage
the submission of proposals for support of nanotechnology
related projects; and
(B) in regard to subsection (g) of that section, include a
description of how the requirement of subparagraph (A) of
this paragraph is being met, the number of proposals for
nanotechnology related projects received, the number of such
proposals funded, the total number of such projects funded
since the beginning of the Technology Innovation Program, and
the outcomes of such funded projects in terms of the metrics
developed in accordance with such subsection (g).
(3) TIP advisory board.--The TIP Advisory Board established
under section 28(k) of the National Institute of Standards
and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278n(k)), in carrying out its
responsibilities under subsection (k)(3), shall provide the
Director of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology with--
(A) advice on how to accomplish the requirement of
paragraph (2)(A) of this subsection; and
(B) an assessment of the adequacy of the allocation of
resources for nanotechnology related projects supported under
the Technology Innovation Program.
(c) Industry Liaison Groups.--An objective of the Program
shall be to establish industry liaison groups for all
industry sectors that would benefit from applications of
nanotechnology. The Nanomanufacturing, Industry Liaison, and
Innovation Working Group of the National Science and
Technology Council shall actively pursue establishing such
liaison groups.
(d) Coordination With State Initiatives.--Section 2(b)(5)
of the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development
Act (15 U.S.C. 7501(b)(5)) is amended to read as follows:
``(5) ensuring United States global leadership in the
development and application of nanotechnology, including
through coordination and leveraging Federal investments with
nanotechnology research, development, and technology
transition initiatives supported by the States;''.
SEC. 5. RESEARCH IN AREAS OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE.
(a) In General.--The Program shall include support for
nanotechnology research and development activities directed
toward application areas that have the potential for
significant contributions to national economic
competitiveness and for other significant societal benefits.
The activities supported shall be designed to advance the
development of research discoveries by demonstrating
technical solutions to important problems in such areas as
nano-electronics, energy efficiency, health care, and water
remediation and purification. The Advisory Panel shall make
recommendations to the Program for candidate research and
development areas for support under this section.
(b) Characteristics.--
(1) In general.--Research and development activities under
this section shall--
(A) include projects selected on the basis of applications
for support through a competitive, merit-based process;
(B) involve collaborations among researchers in academic
institutions and industry, and may involve nonprofit research
institutions and Federal laboratories, as appropriate;
(C) when possible, leverage Federal investments through
collaboration with related State initiatives; and
(D) include a plan for fostering the transfer of research
discoveries and the results of technology demonstration
activities to industry for commercial development.
(2) Procedures.--Determination of the requirements for
applications under this subsection, review and selection of
applications for support, and subsequent funding of projects
shall be carried out by a collaboration of no fewer than 2
agencies participating in the Program. In selecting
applications for support, the agencies shall give special
consideration to projects that include cost sharing from non-
Federal sources.
(3) Interdisciplinary research centers.--Research and
development activities under this section may be supported
through interdisciplinary nanotechnology research centers, as
authorized by section 2(b)(4) of the 21st Century
Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (15 U.S.C.
7501(b)(4)), that are organized to investigate basic research
questions and carry out technology demonstration activities
in areas such as those identified in subsection (a).
(c) Report.--Reports required under section 2(d) of the
21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (15
U.S.C. 7501(d)) shall include a description of research and
development areas supported in accordance with this section,
including the same budget information as is required for
program component areas under paragraphs (1) and (2) of such
section 2(d).
SEC. 6. NANOMANUFACTURING RESEARCH.
(a) Research Areas.--The Nanomanufacturing program
component area, or any successor program component area,
shall include research on--
(1) development of instrumentation and tools required for
the rapid characterization of nanoscale materials and for
monitoring of nanoscale manufacturing processes; and
(2) approaches and techniques for scaling the synthesis of
new nanoscale materials to achieve industrial-level
production rates.
(b) Green Nanotechnology.--Inter-
diciplinary research centers supported under the Program in
accordance with section 2(b)(4) of the 21st Century
Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (15
[[Page H1183]]
U.S.C. 7501(b)(4)) that are focused on nanomanufacturing
research and centers established under the authority of
section 5(b)(3) of this Act shall include as part of the
activities of such centers--
(1) research on methods and approaches to develop
environmentally benign nanoscale products and nanoscale
manufacturing processes, taking into consideration relevant
findings and results of research supported under the
Environmental, Health, and Safety program component area, or
any successor program component area;
(2) fostering the transfer of the results of such research
to industry; and
(3) providing for the education of scientists and engineers
through interdisciplinary studies in the principles and
techniques for the design and development of environmentally
benign nanoscale products and processes.
(c) Review of Nanomanufacturing Research and Research
Facilities.--
(1) Public meeting.--Not later than 12 months after the
date of enactment of this Act, the National Nanotechnology
Coordination Office shall sponsor a public meeting, including
representation from a wide range of industries engaged in
nanoscale manufacturing, to--
(A) obtain the views of participants at the meeting on--
(i) the relevance and value of the research being carried
out under the Nanomanufacturing program component area of the
Program, or any successor program component area; and
(ii) whether the capabilities of nanotechnology research
facilities supported under the Program are adequate--
(I) to meet current and near-term requirements for the
fabrication and characterization of nanoscale devices and
systems; and
(II) to provide access to and use of instrumentation and
equipment at the facilities, by means of networking
technology, to individuals who are at locations remote from
the facilities; and
(B) receive any recommendations on ways to strengthen the
research portfolio supported under the Nanomanufacturing
program component area, or any successor program component
area, and on improving the capabilities of nanotechnology
research facilities supported under the Program.
Companies participating in industry liaison groups shall be
invited to participate in the meeting. The Coordination
Office shall prepare a report documenting the findings and
recommendations resulting from the meeting.
(2) Advisory panel review.--The Advisory Panel shall review
the Nanomanufacturing program component area of the Program,
or any successor program component area, and the capabilities
of nanotechnology research facilities supported under the
Program to assess--
(A) whether the funding for the Nanomanufacturing program
component area, or any successor program component area, is
adequate and receiving appropriate priority within the
overall resources available for the Program;
(B) the relevance of the research being supported to the
identified needs and requirements of industry;
(C) whether the capabilities of nanotechnology research
facilities supported under the Program are adequate--
(i) to meet current and near-term requirements for the
fabrication and characterization of nanoscale devices and
systems; and
(ii) to provide access to and use of instrumentation and
equipment at the facilities, by means of networking
technology, to individuals who are at locations remote from
the facilities; and
(D) the level of funding that would be needed to support--
(i) the acquisition of instrumentation, equipment, and
networking technology sufficient to provide the capabilities
at nanotechnology research facilities described in
subparagraph (C); and
(ii) the operation and maintenance of such facilities.
In carrying out its assessment, the Advisory Panel shall take
into consideration the findings and recommendations from the
report required under paragraph (1).
(3) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Advisory Panel shall submit to the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the
Senate and the Committee on Science and Technology of the
House of Representatives a report on its assessment required
under paragraph (2), along with any recommendations and a
copy of the report prepared in accordance with paragraph (1).
SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act, terms that are defined in section 10 of the
21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (15
U.S.C. 7509) have the meaning given those terms in that
section.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Tennessee (Mr. Gordon) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hall) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.
General Leave
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that
all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their
remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 554, the bill now
under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Tennessee?
There was no objection.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
H.R. 554 is a bipartisan bill which I and Ranking Member Hall jointly
introduced along with 20 additional Democratic and Republican
cosponsors. H.R. 554 is the same legislation that the House passed by
an overwhelming majority of 407-6 votes in the last Congress. I urge my
colleagues to again support this legislation as it will strengthen our
Nation's competitiveness in the rapidly advancing field of
nanotechnology.
I want to begin by thanking my colleague Mr. Hall for working with me
to craft this legislation. I also want to thank Dr. Baird and Dr.
Ehlers, who have both been instrumental in the development of this
bill. As well, I want to thank a former staff director, Jim Wilson, who
recently retired but who played a major role in putting this bill
together.
Finally, I want to thank all of the members of the Science and
Technology Committee on both sides of the aisle for their contributions
to this bill and for helping to move it expeditiously and unanimously
through the committee last year, and I want to thank them for their
support of the legislation again this year.
I would like to spend just a few moments reminding my colleagues as
to why nanotechnology is important to the Nation and why we bring this
bill before the House for approval today.
The term ``revolutionary technology'' has become a cliche, but
nanotechnology truly is revolutionary. We stand at the threshold of an
age in which materials and devices can be fashioned atom by atom to
satisfy very specific design requirements. Nanotechnology-based
applications that were not even imagined a decade ago are being
developed today in our universities and in companies across the
country. The range of potential applications for nanotechnology is
broad, and it will have enormous consequence in electronics, materials,
energy transformation, and storage, as well as in medicine and health.
Indeed, the scope of this technology is so broad as to leave virtually
no product untouched.
The Science and Technology Committee recognized that promise of
nanotechnology early on, holding our first hearing a decade ago to
review the Federal activities in the field. In 2003, the committee was
subsequently instrumental in the development and in the enactment of
the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act, which
authorized the multi-agency National Nanotechnology Initiative, or the
NNI, as it is called.
The NNI supports productive, cooperative research efforts across a
spectrum of disciplines, and it is establishing a network of national
facilities for the support of nanoscale research and development. The
NNI now receives funding from 13 agencies, and it had a budget of $1.5
billion in fiscal year 2008, which represents a doubling of the budget
over 5 years.
The cooperation and planning process among the participating agencies
has been largely effective. Therefore, H.R. 554 does not substantially
alter the NNI, but makes adjustments to some of the priorities of the
program, and it strengthens one of its core components--environmental
and safety research.
Nanotechnology is advancing rapidly. Currently, at least 800 products
contain nanoscale materials. The successful development of
nanotechnology-related products can only occur if the potential
downsides of the technology are addressed from the beginning and in a
straightforward and open way.
We know too well that negative public perceptions about the safety of
a technology can have serious consequences for its acceptance and use.
This has been the case with nuclear power and with genetically modified
foods. From the beginning, the NNI has included research to understand
the environmental and safety aspects of nanotechnology, and last year,
the NNI formally developed a strategy for nanotechnology-related
environmental and safety research. However, a National
[[Page H1184]]
Academies assessment found the strategy inadequate ``to gain public
acceptance and realize the promise of nanotechnology.''
H.R. 554 addresses this concern by requiring that the NNI agencies
develop a plan for the environmental and safety research component of
the program, which includes explicit near-term and long-term goals,
which specifies the funding required to reach those goals, which
identifies the role of each participating agency, and which includes a
roadmap for implementation.
The bill also assigns responsibility to a senior official at the
Office of Science and Technology Policy to oversee this planning and
implementation process and to ensure the agencies allocate the
resources necessary to carry it out. A well-designed, adequately funded
and effectively executed research program in this area is the essential
first step to ensuring that sound science guides the formulation of
regulatory rules and requirements. It will reduce the current
uncertainty that inhibits the commercial development of nanotechnology,
and it will provide a sound basis for future rulemaking.
Another key component of H.R. 554 that I want to highlight involves
provisions in the bill aimed at capturing the economic benefits of
nanotechnology. In 2007, $60 billion nano-enabled products were sold,
and it is predicted that the number will rise to $2.6 trillion by 2014.
Too often, the U.S. has been the leader in basic research, pushing the
frontiers of science and technology, but has failed to commercialize
those discoveries. To that end, H.R. 554 strengthens public-private
partnerships by encouraging the creation of industry liaison groups to
foster nanotechnology transfer and to help guide the NNI research
agenda. The bill also promotes the use of nanotechnology research
facilities to assist companies in the development of prototypes.
Additionally, to increase the relevance and value of NNI, the bill
authorizes large-scale, focused, multi-agency research and development
initiatives in areas of national need. For example, such efforts could
be organized around developing a replacement for the silicon-based
transistor or by developing new nanotechnology-based devices for
harvesting solar energy.
Lastly, the legislation addresses future STEM workforce needs by
supporting the development of undergraduate courses in nanotechnology
fields and by creating education partnerships between nanotechnology
companies and secondary schools.
Mr. Speaker, nanotechnology will soon touch the lives of all
Americans. It is already in our cell phones, cosmetics, paints, and
refrigerators. It will soon help to protect the lives of our police
officers and military servicemen, and it is showing promise in the
treatment of cancer and in promoting wound healing. There is no doubt
that the potential for this technology is vast.
The bill before us today has the support of many business,
professional and higher education associations that recognize that H.R.
554 will enhance America's efforts in nanotechnology research and
development, ensuring that nanotechnology is developed in a safe and
environmentally benign way and ensuring that the Nation reaps the
benefits of our research investment.
Mr. Speaker, I commend this bipartisan legislation to my colleagues,
and urge their support for its passage by the House.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today, of course, in support
of H.R. 554, the National Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments of 2009.
This initiative was first named in the 2001 budget request, and it
was made a priority by the previous administration. Last year, we
created a necessary and responsible reauthorization bill for this
important program. The House took an already good statute and improved
it just a bit to streamline some administrative issues and to ensure
that areas such as nanomanufacturing, education and environmental
health and safety are adequately recognized. Unfortunately, the Senate
did not act on it prior to adjournment, so we will try it again with
the same bill this year.
Just what is ``nanotechnology,'' and why is it important?
Well, according to the NNI Web site, ``Encompassing nanoscale
science, engineering and technology, nanotechnology involves imaging,
measuring, modeling, and manipulating matter . . . at dimensions
between 1 and 100 nanometers.''
Now, a nanometer is one-billionth of a meter. To put it into
perspective, this piece of paper that I am reading from is 100,000-
nanometers thick. It is 100,000 nanometers. The fact that our
scientists and engineers can create and manipulate matter on that small
of a scale to be used in electronic, biomedical, pharmaceutical,
cosmetic, energy, catalytic, and materials applications is mind
boggling. It is the kind of research and technology that makes the
United States the leader in innovation.
It is important that we continue to make this area of research a
national priority. There are numerous examples of nanotechnology being
used today. Not only is it being used to create clean, secure energy,
but its uses range from stain-free clothing to glare-resistant eyewear
to car bumpers to improved tennis balls. Nanotechnology is also being
utilized to cut down on drug counterfeiting and to improve computer
capacity. The list is long, and the potential for nanotechnology at
this time is endless.
Once again, I am pleased to join Chairman Gordon. He is a good
chairman to work with. As well, the overwhelming majority of our
committee members are good folks on both sides of the aisle. We do work
together, and I am honored to be an original cosponsor of the NNI
Amendments Act of 2009. This has been a bipartisan effort from the
beginning. While we have made some changes to the program, I believe
that, by and large, we have continued to give the NNI and all of the
Federal agencies involved with it the flexibility needed to do their
work without being overly prescriptive.
I support this measure, and I encourage my colleagues to do the same.
Likewise, I hope my friends in the Senate will do a better job this
year and will soon follow suit.
I reserve the balance of my time.
{time} 1245
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and ranking
member, Mr. Hall.
I yield now 5 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski).
Mr. LIPINSKI. I thank the gentleman from Tennessee for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H.R. 554, reauthorizing the
National Nanotechnology Initiative, the NNI.
I want to commend Chairman Gordon and Ranking Member Hall for their
hard work in crafting this important bill and thank all of the Members
on both sides of the aisle and the Science and Technology Committee for
their hard work last year on quickly doing a great job getting this
done, getting it to the floor where we passed it. Now, hopefully this
year, as we move quickly--we're off to a quick start thanks to Chairman
Gordon. We can finally get this reauthorization done this year.
I really firmly believe that nanotech represents one of the most
important--if not the most important--technological keys to improving
our Nation's future economic growth and improving our way of life.
Now, a lot of people don't know what nanotech is. I want to really
thank Ranking Member Hall for his great and impressive tutorial he gave
on what nanotech is. It may be one of the most important things that
people could learn from listening to the floor today.
Nanotech is the next industrial revolution. It is so critical that we
take the necessary steps in this reauthorization so that our country
remains on the cutting edge of this revolution.
Nanotech has the potential to deliver many revolutionary advances,
from energy efficient, low-emission ``green'' manufacturing systems, to
inexpensive portable water purification systems that provide universal
access to safe water.
Nanotechnology has the potential to impact every sector of our
economy. In just 6 years, the global market for nanoscale materials and
products is expected to reach $2.6 trillion and to be incorporated into
15 percent of the global manufacturing output.
The NNI has been effective in supporting productive, cooperative
research efforts across a wide spectrum
[[Page H1185]]
of disciplines. The Initiative has established a network of state-of-
the-art national facilities that are conducting groundbreaking work in
nanoscale research and development. These centers of excellence have
helped the U.S. lead the world in development and expansion of
nanotechnology, leadership that has been vital to economic development
and essential to the creation of innovative jobs leading to a stronger
and more competitive America.
My home State of Illinois is one of the leaders in nanotech research.
Many universities and businesses have become deeply invested through
programs like the NNI. For example, my alma mater, Northwestern
University, houses the Institute for Nanotechnology, which supports
research and facilitates collaboration in solving major problems such
as finding more precise ways to deliver chemotherapy, along with other
medical applications of nanotech.
The Institute includes the Center for Nanofabrication and Molecular
Self-Assembly, a multimillion-dollar research facility and one of the
first federally funded centers of its kind. It helps foster
partnerships to encourage researchers and entrepreneurs to become
involved in this cutting-edge field, creating jobs and potential for
entirely new industries.
Now, the reauthorization of the NNI includes three significant
adjustments. First, it strengthens the planning and implementation of
research on environmental health and safety aspects of nanotech
ensuring that possible unintended impacts of nanotech products will not
defeat the enormous promise of this technology. We need to make sure
that people are confident in nanotech, and we need to make sure we can
be confident in the safety of nanotech. That's one of the critical
things that this reauthorization does with the NNI.
Second, it requires the NNI to place increased emphasis on technology
transfer, which entails moving basic research results out of the lab
and into commercial products. From my own experience in Illinois with
our national labs and research universities, I know that technology
transfer is not simple, but it is an important part of ensuring that
R&D investments serve the public. Remember, we, the American people,
are making these investments. We need to do everything we can that we
have technology transfers, that everything that is found, everything
developed, is something that we can bring to market.
And finally, this reauthorization creates new education programs to
attract secondary school students to science and technology studies and
to help prepare the nanotechnology workforce of tomorrow. As a former
educator and as chairman of the Research and Science Education
Subcommittee, I understand the vital role of education in promoting the
success of individual Americans, and more broadly, the economic
competitiveness of our Nation.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. I yield the gentleman 30 additional seconds.
Mr. LIPINSKI. The field of nanotechnology holds great promise for our
future, and it's critical that we do all that we can to help ensure
that America leads the way in nanotech innovation. H.R. 554 will place
the U.S. in a key position to drive technology breakthroughs and go
even further to ensuring our long-term competitiveness in the global
economic marketplace.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support the passage of H.R.
554, move this authorization forward and get this done this year so we
can keep America moving forward on the cutting edge of this new
revolution.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman
from Missouri (Mr. Blunt).
Mr. BLUNT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. And let
me say to start with that I am in complete agreement, as approximately
407 of our Members-plus will be with the gentleman from Texas, the
gentleman from Tennessee, and the gentleman from Illinois. I appreciate
the work Mr. Gordon and Mr. Hall have done to get this bill to the
floor.
In fact, Missouri State University, right next to my home in
Springfield, has a leading project going on in nanotechnology. I think
it is important. I was one of those 407 people that voted for this bill
last year. I expect a vote for this bill today.
And as Mr. Cohen earlier said, as a Member of the minority, I want to
talk about what we're not doing on the floor today. I want to talk
about the fact that somewhere, while we're out here debating a bill
where we'll spend $1 million a year that's already passed the House
last year, 407-6, somewhere in this building--and that's significant
because I don't know where it is and I don't think the Republican
conferees, all two of them, know either--somewhere in this building,
meetings are going on to decide how we spend $800 billion.
For $800 billion, if I could use the analogy that Mr. Hall used, if
the thickness of this paper is 100,000 nanometers, the thickness of
this paper is 100,000 nanometers, if you stacked these pieces of paper
one on top of each other, 27\1/2\ feet high, you'd be at 800 billion
nanometers.
So if pieces of paper represented $100,000, you'd have to be 27\1/2\
feet high to be to $800 billion. This is a huge amount of money. And
later, if greater experts than me at nanotechnology figure out that
it's only 26 feet, it's still a lot of money. It's $800 billion.
Last year when we worked together on a stimulus package--not the case
this year--we said, the Speaker said, I said, others said, a stimulus
package has to be timely, it has to be targeted, it has to be
temporary. And I'd advance the idea that this is none of those. It's
certainly not timely. Alice Rivlin said the other day--this is the
former budget director for President Clinton--no more than one out of
ten of these dollars can be spent this year. There are some other
estimates that, well, maybe it's as high as two out of ten.
So my question is, why are we spending the other 80 or 90 percent as
if it was a stimulus package as opposed to just something somebody in
this building wants to do and in fact is going to do for a long time
which comes to targeted.
I'd also suggest that more than anything else, this bill is a
collection of what the new majority has wanted to do for a decade. I
believe I could go through the debates of the House over the last 10
years and find virtually every single thing in this bill having been
proposed some time during the last 10 years and we didn't do it because
sometimes because the majority thought it was a bad idea, often because
the majority at that time, the other side, my side, thought we just
simply couldn't afford it.
And temporary? The last dollar to be spent in that bill wherever it's
being developed is spent in 2019. Not timely, not temporary, not
targeted. And if you're measuring it in money, lots of nanometers of
money. In fact, the bill that we think we saw earlier the size of, the
total cost per page of that bill was over $7 million. The total cost
per word, rather, was $7 million. The total cost per page was $1.2
billion.
One thing the Congress will do in all likelihood this week is set a
record that won't be challenged for a long time in how fast we can
spend how much money. We're going to make nanotechnology look like it's
an old science compared to the new technology of spending money.
So while we're debating this bill that absolutely will pass, that
there is virtually unanimous agreement on, some group of people in the
majority of the House and Senate is deciding what that big bill is
going to look like. And believe me, most of us will have no idea what's
in it the day we vote for it. It will be impossible to know, and only
over the next 6 months when the American people find out what's in that
bill, will Members of Congress begin to wish that they had not voted
for the bill today and taken the time this kind of spending deserves.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 3 minutes.
I want to just make my friend from Missouri feel better and let him
know that at 3 o'clock today there is a bicameral, bipartisan
conference that will be held. And so I just wanted to give him that
comfort.
And now I want to yield the balance of my time to the gentlelady from
Pennsylvania (Mrs. Dahlkemper), a very active and important member of
the Science and Technology Committee.
Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 554,
the National Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act.
[[Page H1186]]
This legislation strengthens and provides transparency to Federal
research and development efforts in understanding both the risks and
promise associated with nanotechnology. While wanting to learn and
apply advancements in nanotechnology to some of our Nation's most
pressing challenges, we must also ensure that we are aware of any
safety risks associated with the technology.
In the field of health care, one of the most promising developments
in cancer treatments involve the placement of carbon nanotubes in
cancerous tumors, subjecting them to radiowaves, which heat the cancer
cells to the point of destruction yet spare the surrounding healthy
cells. This unique treatment was conceived by my constituent John
Kanzius and is now in active development.
I am pleased that this bill strengthens the public-private
partnerships as this will help us leverage private sector investments
underway in our communities for projects such as this.
H.R. 554 reaffirms our Nation's commitment to harnessing the promise
of nanotechnology research for advancements in health care and beyond,
while also strengthening our commitment to safety in all Federal
research and development.
I am particularly proud to support this bill and urge my colleagues'
support.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to Colonel Pitts,
the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
Mr. PITTS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 554 and the importance of
nanotechnology. It's a very important part of our economy. It's an
important part of health care. Our stimulus bill has a lot of things to
do with our economy that this could be a part of. And so I'm glad we're
taking time to recognize the importance of this.
An hour ago, we stood here honoring one of our colleagues, John
Dingell, and his service as chairman of the Energy and Commerce
Committee. And I just want to say he served with dignity. He was always
fair to the minority. It was a pleasure to serve with him as chairman.
And the Energy and Commerce Committee is one of the three committees
that has jurisdiction over this stimulus, this massive stimulus bill
that's coming up later this week.
The gentleman from Tennessee mentioned there is a bipartisan
conference today at 3 o'clock on this bill. The problem is there are
only two Republicans. Not one Republican from Energy and Commerce,
which has jurisdiction over a lot of this bill, is on this conference
committee.
{time} 1300
We spent 12 hours a week ago in marking up this bill, and then our
amendments were promptly stripped out of the bill.
Debate has been limited. Literally in this case, we're not even given
a seat at the table, with a Republican Member of this important
committee of jurisdiction being included in the conference committee
and negotiating the final bill.
We're barreling full steam ahead, railroading through Congress a
trillion dollar massive spending bill that is masquerading as an
economic stimulus bill, and I think on a day when we honor good men
like John Dingell and his service, the kind of governance he has
provided for so many years in this institution and with this committee
that has jurisdiction, that it would be appropriate that we govern
differently.
And I thank the gentleman.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HALL of Texas. I yield the gentlelady from North Carolina (Ms.
Foxx) 2 minutes.
Ms. FOXX. I thank the ranking member.
I am sure from hearing the speakers on the other side that this
nanotechnology bill is worthwhile and that what we have gotten from
nanotechnology in the past are very good results. But what we have to
be looking at right now, because the major issue before us and before
the people in this country is what's going to happen in this so-called
stimulus bill.
I got a call a little while ago from a lady who wanted to know if
what she had heard on the radio was true, that part of this bill is
going to fund chips to go inside United States citizens so the
government can track them. We frankly don't know what is going to be in
this bill.
But what we do know is the Republicans have an alternative to this
bill. And contrary to what the leadership on the Democratic side has
been saying, it's not that Republicans don't want to do anything. We
want to do things. We understand Americans are hurting. We understand
that. But we want to do what's right, not waste American people's money
on what fits.
You know, Rahm Emanuel said never waste a crisis, so go in and put in
all this pork that we want to get passed that we can't get passed in
other bills, put it in this and get it done. But that's not what
Republicans want to do. We want to make sure the money is being spent
well.
Here we have in this bill some things we know: $1,500 tax credit to
anyone who purchases neighborhood electric vehicles. Those are also
known as golf carts. So we are going to subsidize people to buy golf
carts. We have a $750 million earmark for the National Computer Center.
You know, the President says no earmarks. That's not true. There are
plenty of earmarks in this bill. We have $275 million for flood
prevention. How long have we known that we needed to prevent floods in
certain areas of this country? Why are we using this bill for $100
million for lead paint hazard reduction?
This is the wrong bill for this country at this time.
Mr. HALL of Texas. I yield the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Shimkus)
2 minutes.
(Mr. SHIMKUS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member. It's good to be
with my friend Mr. Gordon, who's the chairman.
Nanotechnology is a very important aspect. I know Newt Gingrich for
years has talked about the benefits of nanotechnology.
Benefits, what this can do for current competitiveness and future
competitiveness, I think a lot of people don't know because it's so
small. That's why it's called nano. Water filtration, dental bonding
agents, bumpers and catalytic converters on cars, protective and glare
reducing coatings, burn and wound dressings. But other things, solar
cells in roofing tiles and siding, tires that improve skid resistance,
high performance footwear, automotive parts. I think it is very, very
exciting.
I think this is something that if we were to move in a stimulus
package that would be helpful would be putting money into
nanotechnology. That's not what we're doing.
We are going to be putting more money into the repairing of three
golf courses in the District of Columbia than we're going to be doing
for putting money into nanotechnology. We're going to be putting more
money into creating cafe table settings for lunch in the District of
Columbia than we're going to be putting in nanotechnology. We are going
to be putting more money into free spring lunch jazz concerts for
people in the District of Columbia than we're going to be putting into
nanotechnology.
The chairman of this committee also has the benefit of sitting on the
great Energy and Commerce Committee. One of our issues of concern is
the conference committee that I sat on on the energy bill in 2005, the
much-maligned energy bill, was open. We had hearings. We had a markup.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has again expired.
Mr. HALL of Texas. I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.
Mr. SHIMKUS. We actually had C-SPAN covering it. We had amendments
offered by both sides. We had votes. We had discussions on the
conference committee.
On this stimulus bill, there is none. It's going to be cut in the
back rooms by 10 Members. There's 435 of us who are elected to
represent this government here. Ten Members are going to decide what is
in the bill, and we're going to end up with cafe tables for people to
have lunch in D.C. instead of research into nanotechnologies.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I recognize the chairman of the House
Republican Conference, the gentleman
[[Page H1187]]
from Indiana (Mr. Pence) for 3 minutes.
(Mr. PENCE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. PENCE. House Republicans know we are in a serious recession. The
American people are hurting, and despite the claims by some in the
administration and some here on the House floor, House Republicans know
that Congress must act and must act now to deal with this serious
economic downturn affecting America's businesses and families.
Despite the accusations of some that Republicans want to do nothing,
because somehow a choice between one party that wants to do something
and another party that wants to do nothing, I was struck, Mr. Speaker,
this morning when even the Washington Post called that allegation a
straw man.
In fact, the choice before us here today is whether or not we will
move the legislation that's now become a back-room deal that has the
size and magnitude of the entire discretionary budget of the United
States of America, whether we will move that bill without any input
whatsoever from House Republicans.
But this is not an argument about who had their say. This is an
argument about what would be the best solution to deal with these
challenging economic times.
Republicans oppose this bill because this back-room deal is simply a
long wish list of big government spending that won't work to put
Americans back to work. It won't create jobs. The only thing it will
stimulate is more government and more debt.
And it will probably do more harm than good, and it sounds from news
reports at this point, Mr. Speaker, that the conferees on this
committee have made this bad bill even worse. I'm hearing reports that
modest tax relief in this bill has been reduced to pay for even more
big government spending.
And the American people have a right to know what's in this bill.
Yesterday, Republicans and Democrats came together and unanimously
voted in this Chamber that when this bill was completed it would be
posted on the Internet for a minimum of 48 hours for the American
people to review it. The question today is, will the House majority
keep their promise to the American people and post the legislation,
that is about to be imminently revealed to this Nation, on the Internet
to be carefully examined? The American people have a right to know
what's in this bill.
And I believe with all my heart that the more they know, the more
they will agree that Republicans have a better solution. Rather than
more government, more debt and more spending, Republicans want to take
half the amount of money that the majority wants to spend and use it
for fast-acting tax relief for working families and small businesses.
Using the economic analysis of the Obama administration, the
Republican plan would create twice the jobs at half the cost. We simply
believe we have a better solution.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, let me just close by again
giving my friend some comfort to know that at 3 o'clock today there's
going to be a bicameral, bipartisan conference, conferees appointed by
the Speaker for the Democrats and by Mr. Boehner for the Republicans.
We all look forward to steady progress.
And I will finally close by again thanking Mr. Hall for his help as
well in putting together this good, bipartisan bill.
Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 554, the
National Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act.
I commend Chairman Bart Gordon and the other members of the Science
and Technology Committee, on which I am proud to have once served, for
the hard work and thoughtful consideration that went into this bill. I
am pleased that this bill includes numerous provisions that I
originally proposed in my own legislation, the Nanotechnology
Advancement and New Opportunities (NANO) Act, H.R. 820.
Nanotechnology has the potential to create entirely new industries
and radically transform the basis of competition in other fields, and I
am proud of my work with former Science Committee Chairman Sherwood
Boehlert on the Nanotechnology Research and Development Act of 2003 to
foster research in this area.
But one of the things policymakers have heard from experts is that
while the United States is a leader in nanotechnology research, our
foreign competitors are focusing more resources and effort on the
commercialization of those research results than we are.
Both H.R. 554 and my own bill would focus America's nanotechnology
research and development programs on areas of national need such as
energy , health care, and the environment, and have provisions to help
assist in the commercialization of nanotechnology.
In recent months, there has been much discussion about potential
health and safety risks associated with nanotechnology. Uncertainty is
one of the major obstacles to the commercialization of nanotechnology--
uncertainty about what the risks might be and uncertainty about how the
federal government might regulate nanotechnology in the future. Both my
bill and H.R. 554 require the development of a nanotechnology research
plan that will ensure the development and responsible stewardship of
nanotechnology.
Other important areas that are addressed by both H.R. 554 and H.R.
820 include: the development of curriculum tools to help improve
nanotechnology education; the establishment of educational partnerships
to help prepare students to pursue postsecondary education in
nanotechnology; support for the development of environmentally
beneficial nanotechnology; and the development of advanced tools for
simulation and characterization to enable rapid prediction,
characterization and monitoring for nanoscale manufacturing.
I am also pleased that H.R. 554 will require that the NNI Advisory
Panel must be a stand-alone advisory committee. This is a concept I
originally proposed in 2002 in the Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
Advisory Board Act (H.R. 5669 in the 107th Congress).
I would like to thank the members of the Blue Ribbon Task Force on
Nanotechnology (BRTFN), a panel of California nanotechnology experts
with backgrounds in established industry, startup companies, consulting
groups, non-profits, academia, government, medical research, and
venture capital that I convened with then-California State Controller
Steve Westly during 2005, for the important recommendations included in
its report, Thinking Big About Thinking Small, many of which are
reflected in the bill we are considering today. I would also like to
thank Scott Hubbard, who was the Director of the NASA Ames Research
Center at that time and who served as working chair of the BRTFN, and
all of the staff at Ames whose hard work made the task force run so
well and helped produced a great report. The report is available on my
Web site at http://honda.house.gov/issues/links/brtfn_report_final.pdf.
Again, I congratulate the Science and Technology Committee and
Chairman Gordon for their work on this bill and thank them for
incorporating so many of the provisions from my bill into H.R. 554, and
I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation to
reauthorize the nation's nanotechnology research and development
program.
Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support H.R. 554--``The
National Nano-technology Initiative Amendments Act.''
This legislation supports research and innovation in the field of
nanotechnology and strengthens the National Nanotechnology Initiative
(NNI) by adding provisions to encourage nanotechnology education,
studies, and economic development.
Whether it's medical research, military systems, or energy
advancements, nano-technology plays a vital role in our lives today and
will help drive innovation for tomorrow.
We see nanotechnology used in computers and other nano-electronics,
as well as a wide variety of products from landmine detectors to water
filtration systems to sunscreens.
The future of nanotechnology is limitless. Nanotechnology will pave
the way for significant advances in many fields, including medical
diagnostics, automotive performance, and solar energy.
In short, nanotechnology is the convergence of 21st century science
and technologies. It is proof that small technology can have a huge
impact in the world.
This legislation helps ensure that American companies have the
resources they need to further develop nanotechnology, which will help
American businesses remain on the cutting edge of technology and drive
the American economy.
I want to thank Chairman Gordon and Ranking Member Hall for their
work in bringing this bipartisan legislation to the Floor today.
I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 554.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 554.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
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rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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